Two-part mixture package and applicator



Oct 31, 1967 G. SGHWWFZMANv 3,349,966

TWO-PART MIXTURE PACKAGE AND APPLICATOR Filed April 25, 1966 F/ G. F/ 2 j Z320 J. 20 .M 'l 2/ rv' l-rv United States Patent O 3,349,966 TWO-PART MIXTURE PACKAGE AND APPLICATOR Gilbert Schwartzman, Wilmot Circle, Scarsdale, N.Y. 10583 Filed Apr. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 545,038 2 Claims. ('Cl. 222-80) This invention vrelates to a combination two-part mixture package and applicator, and has vfor its primary object the provision of a single package assembly adapted to facilitate the separate shelf storage of two substances adapted to be thereafter mixed, and further facilitates the application of the mixture on a surface to be treated.

The present invention is especially adapted for utilization for use with two materials or substances which have an extended shelf life when not mixed, but which must be utilized relatively soon after mixture to prevent deterioration. Various cosmetics, medications, hair dyes,

pigments, polishes, cleaning solutions and the like havev the foregoing characteristics. For example, conventional hair dyes employ a base material such as a' peroxide solution or the like, with which a pigmented material or solution is mixed for immediate application on the hair. The color is determined by the make-up of the pigmented solution. If the pigmented material is mixed with the base and allowed to stand, the mixture deteriorates and becomes unusable. It is often very messy to mix these solutions together using separate containers, and the p-resent invention overcomes these diil'lculties that provides a unitary storage and mixing facility, but also has the additional advantage of providing for convenient application of the iluid.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a combination package and applicator that permits the separate shelf storage of two substances of an unstable mixt-ure and which facilitates the mixture of the two substances and further facilitates the application of the mixture immediately after mixing, all without removing the substances from the simple assembly comprising the present invention or requiring any exterior handling thereof.

The construction of this invention features the use of an applicator which has a retainer ring arranged to receive a first substance, and to utilize the valve mechanism thereof for operating a plunger to rupture a membrane to permit mixture of the rst substance with a second substance in a container. f

Still further objects and `features of this invention reside in the provision of a combination package and applicator which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, capable of metering lluid such as hair coloring dyes and the like of various viscosities in an effective manner, and which is especially adapted for use in connection with cosmetics, medications, hair dyes and tints, polishes, and the like.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this dauber, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional detail View of an assembled combination package and application constructed in accordance with the concepts of the present invention and prior to initial use thereof;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating the invention after use thereof;

FIG. 3 is a sectional detail view showing the invention with the application in use;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal-section view of the invention taken along the plane of line 4 4 in FIG. 1; and

3,349,966 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 FIG. 5 is a horizontal-sectional view of the invention looking along the plane of line 5-5 in FIG. 1.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 is used to generally designate the combination package and application comprising the present invention. This package includes a container 12 in which a retaining ring 14 is positioned. The retaining ring includes a projecting portion 15 designed to lit in the neck of the container 12 and includes a flange 16 provided with a swaged lip 18 for retaining a cover 20 in position between the lip 18 and a rib 22 of circular configuration.

The cover 20= is constructed of two layers, the upper layer 21 of which is formed of a nylon knitted brushed fabric so as to achieve a `felt-like applicator surface and appearance, while having the chemical inertness and strength of the nylon. Laminated and bonded to the nylon knitted brushed fabric is the lower layer 23 of coarse polyurethane foam.

The retaining ring 14 is provided with a web 26 which has a-n arcuate tapered opening 28 therein which is of approximately one-half the diameter of the web 26. Cooperating with the arcuate tapered opening 28, which serves as a valve seat, is the conical surface 30 of an integrally molded v-alve assembly generally indicated at 24. The valve assembly 24 includes a spring 32 formed in helical coils, the lower portion being integrally formed with a mounting ring 34. The mounting ring is held in place by the swaged end 42 of the projecting portion 15. The swaged end 42 thus retains the valve assembly 24 within the retaining ring 14 with the spring 32 in a continuously stressed condition under compression so that the valve head 36 is continuously urged into and through the opening 28 for the purpose of closing the opening and preventing lluid flow from the container 12 into the space between the web 26 of the retaining ring 14 and the cover 20. The upper end of the spring 32 is integrally `formed with the body portion 33 of the valve assembly.

There is disposed between the valve head 36 and the cover 20 a cylindrical body 50' of coarse polyurethane foam which is continuously compressed and serves to bulge the cover 201 in a convex manner. The valve head 36 is integrally formed with the body .portion 33 of the valve assembly and is continuously biased into engagement with the compressed body 50 `further squeezing the body. However, when the applicator is Vused lfor applying shoe polish or other iluids, the cover 20 is depressed, forcing the compressed body 50 slightly into the opening 28 and opening the valve by depressing the valve head to permit passage of iluid, whereby lluid will not only saturate the polyurethane foam body 50 but will saturate the cover 20. Since the inner or lower layer 23 is of a polyurethane foam, it will absorb and retain suilicient luid so that the dauber will be able to provide a uniform coating on the surface being treated.

The com-pressed body 50 yprovides in continuous contact with the cover a source of fluid and will absorb all the excess fluid which lremains after the valve assembly 24 has moved to its valve closed position thereby preventing leaking or spilling of iluid out of and beyond the cover 20.

The valve assembly 24 is provided with an integrally formed gasket 54. This gasket will provide for an effective lluid seal. This gasket 54 extends beyond the web 26 when the valve is in an initial closed position forming a positive seal and drawing the conical surface 30 closely into engagement with the surface 31 of the web 26.

Tautly stretched across the swaged end 42 of the projection 15 is a relatively very thin membrane 60' formed of a suitable synthetic plastic material such as polyethylene which is preferably under tension and which seals the 3 lower end of the retaining ring 14, the upper end being sealed by the gasket 54 and the valve assembly 24.

Disposed within the retaining ring 14 is a rst material or substance A, preferably a granular, liquid or powder like material adapted to be eventually mixed with a second, preferably liquid material B within the container 12.

Integrally formed with the valve assembly 24 is a plunger 62, the lower pointed end 64 of which lies in an initial position closely adjacent the membrane 60. This plunger will pierce the membrane 60 upon depression of said cover 20 and hence the valve head 36. Since the membrane 60 will be ruptured thereby, the substance A will be allowed to freely fall into the container 12 to admix with the material B. The entire assembly then may be easily shaken to thoroughly mix the substances.

Thus, prior to initial use, there is provided a two-part mixture package and application with substance A isolated from material B. This is especially suitable for package hair dyes and tints currently employed for treating human hair. These materials have an extended shelf life when kept separate, but after mixture of the two materials, the mixture must be promptly utilized or otherwise the mixture deteriorates and becomes unusable. Prior to initial use, the membrane 60 not only serves as a packaging element for substance A but actually forms a closed seal for the material B.

Upon initial depression of the cover 20 and valve head 36, the plunger 62 ruptures the membrane 60 allowing substance A to fall in the direction of arrows W in FIG. 2 and the gasket S4 is pushed through the opening 28 in the web 26. Thereafter, the gasket 54 will cooperate with the surface 30 to assure a good seal. Depressing the cover 20 thereafter, will depress the valve head 36 and permit uid flow in the direction of arrows Z to saturate the cover 120 and the body 50.

The retaining ring and the valve assembly are preferably molded from readily available plastic material such as polyethylene or polyurethane.

A latitude of modification, substitution and change is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances, some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

I claim:

1. A dispensing package comprising a container having an open neck, a first substance disposed in said container, a retainer ring having a projecting portion, said projecting portion being received in said neck, a cover secured to said ring, said ring having a tapered opening therein forming a valve seat, a valve assembly including a valve head having a portion engageable with said valve seat to close said opening and being movable with respect to said valve seat to control uid flow through said opening, said valve assembly further including a mounting ring, said projecting portion having a swaged end holding said mounting ring in place, an imperforate membrane extending across said swaged end sealing the lower end of said retainer ring, said valve assembly also including helical coil spring means integrally connected to said mounting ring and said valve head, a plunger secured to said valve head and extending within said helical coils towards a position immediately adjacent said membrane, said spring means normally urging said valve head against said valve seat and said plunger away from said membrane, and a second substance disposed in said projecting portion, said cover being depressable to move said valve head away from said valve seat and to force said plunger through said membrane to rupture said membrane and permit said second substance to fall into said container and to mix with said iirst substance, and means holding said membrane tautly stretched under tension so that upon rupture thereof an opening considerably larger than said plunger will be formed to allofw said second substance to freely fall into said container to facilitate mixing thereof with said iirst substance and the resultant mixture thereof to pass freely therethrough.

2. An applicator head for use with a container, said applicator head comprising a retainer ring having a projecting portion, a cover secured to said ring, said ring having an opening therein forming a valve seat, a valve assembly including a valve head having a portion engageable with said valve seat to close said opening and being movable with respect to said valve seat to control fluid liow through said opening, said valve assembly further including a mounting ring, said projecting portion having a swaged end holding said mounting ring in place, an imperforate membrane extending across said swaged end sealing the lower end of said retainer ring, said valve assembly also including helical coil spring integrally connected to said mounting ring and said valve head, a plunger integral with said valve head and extending within said helical coil springs towards a position immediately adjacent said membrane, said spring means normally urging said valve head towards said valve seat and said plunger away from said membrane, a substance disposed in said projecting portion between said membrane and said valve seat, said cover Ibeing depressable to move said valve head away from said valve seat and to force said plunger through said membrane, to rupture said membrane, and means holding said membrane tautly under tension so that upon rupture thereof an opening considerably larger than said plunger will be formed to permit said substance to freely fall therethrough and into a container to be mixed with another substance therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,169,267 2/ 1965 Luedtke 222-518 X 3,203,026 8/ 1965 Schwartzman 15-566 3,172,568 3/1965 Modderno 222-136 X FOREIGN PATENTS 536,023 3/1955 Belgium.

ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSING PACKAGE COMPRISING A CONTAINER HAVING AN OPEN NECK, A FIRST SUBSTANCE DISPOSED IN SAID CONTAINER, A RETAINER RING HAVING A PROJECTING PORTION, SAID PROJECTING PORTION BEING RECEIVED IN SAID NECK, A COVER SECURED TO SAID RING, SAID RING HAVING A TAPERED OPENING THEREIN FORMING A VALVE SEAT, A VALVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A VALVE HEAD HAVING A PORTION ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID VALVE SEAT TO CLOSE SAID OPENING AND BEING MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID VALVE SEAT TO CONTROL FLUID FLOW THROUGH SAID OPENING, SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY FURTHER INCLUDING A MOUNTING RING, SAID PROJECTING PORTION HAVING A SWAGED END HOLDING SAID MOUNTING RING IN PLACE, AN IMPERFORATE MEMBRANCE EXTENDING ACROSS SAID SWAGED END SEALING THE LOWER END OF SAID RETAINER RING, SAID VALVE ASSEMBLY ALSO INCLUDING HELICAL COIL SPRING MEANS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO SAID MOUNTING RING AND SAID VALVE HEAD, A PLUNGER SECURED TO SAID VALVE HEAD AND EXTENDING WITHIN SAID HELICAL COILS TOWARDS A POSITION IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID MEMBRANCE, SAID SPRING MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID VALVE HEAD AGAINST SAID VALVE SEAT AND SAID PLUNGER AWAY FROM SAID MEMBRANE, AND A SECOND SUBSTANCE DISPOSED IN SAID PROJECTING PORTION, SAID COVER BEING DEPRESSABLE TO MOVE SAID VALVE HEAD AWAY FROM SAID VALVE SEAT AND TO FORCE SAID PLUNGER THROUGH SAID MEMBRANE TO RUPTURE SAID MEMBRANE AND PERMIT SAID SECOND SUBSTANCE TO FALL INTO SAID CONTAINER AND TO MIX WITH SAID FIRST SUBSTANCE, AND MEANS HOLDING SAID MEMBRANE TAUTLY STRETCHED UNDER TENSION SO THAT UPON RUPTURE THEREOF AN OPENING CONSIDERABLY LARGER THAN SAID PLUNGER WILL BE FORMED TO ALLOW SAID SECOND SUBSTANCE TO FREELY FALL INTO SAID CONTAINER TO FACILITATE MIXING THEREOF WITH SAID FIRST SUBSTANCE AND THE RESULTANT MIXTURE THEREOF TO PASS FREELY THERETHROUGH. 